A song from Dev D

I think Dev D is possibly one of the most engaging films I’ve seen this year. For one thing, it shows you that the whole idea of Devdas is just a skeleton. You can fatten it up any way you like. But this film had me near tears a few times, and dazzled at the same time.

The music was brilliant. I can’t stop listening to some of the tracks. But this one track makes my heart jump and hug that girl – Chanda.

The way she hikes up her skirt when leaving for school. (and yes, my entire friend-circle did that.) Bunking school. (sorry Mom and Dad). That lovely dreamy existence quickly destroyed by a few bastards.

The wonderful part is that the film doesn’t actually moralize. So there’s no easy way out. All you can do is like the poor kid and hope everything’s okay for her. Which is pretty much what you can do in real life.

oh yes, i did like the contemporary take…but there was something awfully depressing about it, actually scary. yes it doesn’t moralise. This gen doesnt like being preached…but then this gen also fucks up bad. Sorry i sound terribly patronising, but if our gen churns out more Dev d’s and chandas, it would be a pretty bad world to live in. The contemporary take is a slap across our face. There is so much truth in this Dev D that I can’t see the film without feeling queasy.

Quite agree with Aparna there…if everything went on like it goes on in Dev D, without the hint of the slighest restraint, we’d be staring at a scary vacuum, an emptiness that demands nothing and gives nothing, just urges you to live uninhibited but thoughtlessly. And what about the ending? To me, it did seem a bit forced, maybe an attempt at drawing back from the precipice at the very last moment, to not leave the viewer hopelessly depressed?

I loved the music of the movie. But somehow I found the movie very negative, nothing to do with the theme or if something is good or bad, but just kind of movie that made you feel little depressed. But yups much better than all this repeated same boy girl drama.

I also love the shot of chanda juggling in the snow..I found it quietly beautiful. And somehow, I found the movie very compassionate, even giving dogs and fools having momos a chance. Can’t get the movie out of my head ever since I watched it, nearly two months back. ‘Nayan Tarse’, ‘Duniya’, the rustic sarson khet song when Dev returns from abroad (forgot the song right now) are all beautiful. Also, love the way the film cuts the mythical Devdas down to size. And shows the humanity and pathos. without the drinks-and-women larger than life “eternally suffering lover” image that “Devdas” invarably used to conjure up. I think it’s like a Before Dev D and After Dev D sort of scenario.